Container



' N. 5.. HEIT Dec. 15, 1942.

CONTAINER Filed Dec. '7, 1940 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 15, 1942 Nathan E. Heit, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to San- Nap-Pak Manufacturing Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December '7, 1940, Serial No. 369,032

2 Claims.

This invention relates to containers and, more particularly, to containers adapted to enclose material'such as paper cleansing tissues.

The general object of the invention is to provide an-improved container for material such as paper cleansing tissues, which, when access to the contents thereof is desired for purposes of removal, may readily be opened without resort to the use of instruments, and which permits direct examination of a portion of the contents thereof, prior to the opening of the container, without impairment of the structure of the container, and without lessening the protection provided for its contents.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. l is a' view in perspective of a container embodying the invention in a preferred form;

Fig. 2 is aside elevational view of the container of Fig. 1, partly broken away at the upper portion thereof to show the operative relationship between the opening formed in the top side of such container and the closure member therefor; and

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the container of Figs. 1

and 2, showing the closure member in displaced position to permit inspection of the contents of the container.

Referring now to the drawing, I0 designates generally, a container which, except for the hereinafter described top side thereof, may be of any desired construction, and which contains paper cleansing tissues or the like I I, packed in the usual manner, and which are to be removed from such container as required. While cleansing tissues are particularly referred to herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may find application in containers adapted to hold material of any sort which, as packed therein, is compressible to at least some substantial degree, as are paper cleansing tissues as customarily packed for use by consumers. The top Side l2 of container ID is perferably formed of cardboard of a composition and thickness permitting the same to be torn and folded with reasonable facility.

Top side l2 of the container comprises panel I 3, extending longitudinally of th container. Panel [3 is generally rectangular, but preferably has rounded corners. The extremities of panel I3 are defined by lines of weakened connection between the panel and the remainder of th top side l2. Thus, one side of panel I3 is defined by score l5. At the corners of panel l3, cuts l4 extend completely through the top side of the container. The ends of panel 13 are defined by perforations [6. The remaining side of panel I3 is defined by perforations l1 and cut l8. While such arrangement of perforations, cuts and score is preferred, as it has been found to give most satisfactory results, other arrangements of such means, or either of them, may be employed.

Panel is is provided, proximate an end thereof, with an opening l9, preferably circular. Under opening it is disposed closure member 20, which is somewhat larger than opening 19. Member Zii is, at the periphery of opening IS, in abutting relationship with the under surface of panel l3, being upwardly urged thereagainst by tissues H. Member 20 may be formed of any material which is sufiiciently soft and resilient to permit such member to serve the purposes specified hereinbelow. In practice, it has been found desirable to use as a closure member a conventional powder puff of the type, for example, in which cotton batting is contained within a casing of velour. The drawing illustrates such a powder puff so employed, the puff being encased in a wrapper 2!, preferably of transparent and glossy material such as Cellophane, and of rectangular configuration.

The use of a powder puff is deemed desirable because, in addition to serving as a suitable closure member for opening l9 prior to opening of the container, the puff may thereafter be used by the consumer to serve its usual function.

The invention permits direct inspection of a portion of the contents of the container, without adversely affecting the appearance of the container or lessening the protection provided for the contents thereof. To effect such inspection, one need only bear downwardly upon the closure member with one or two fingers (thus to compress the closure member and the contents of the container therebeneath), while at the same time sliding or crumpling such member to one side. Fig. 3 illustrates the container with the closure member 20 displaced to afford direct view of a portion of the contents of the container. In this way the color, texture and quality of the contents of the container may be accurately judged. When an inspection has been completed, the closure member may be slid back to its normal position and the digital pressure thereon released. The resultant upward expansion of the contents of the container and the expansion of the resilient closure member will again cause the latter to effectively seal opening 19.

Wrapper 2|, while not indispensable, is preferably provided as it prevents soiling of the closure member. If the wrapper is formed of smooth or glossy material, this facilitates the v lateral displacement of member 20.

The container may be readily opened, without the use of instruments, by slipping the end of a finger between closure member 20 and the under surface of panel l3, preferably toward the cut I8. By then pulling the finger upwardly and away from container i0, panel l3 may readily be severed from the remainder of top side l2, except along scor i5, which may then serve as a fold line. The contents of the container, and also closure member 20, may then be removed with facility. Panel I3 may be retained as a closure flap, hinged at score IE, or may be removed entirely,

Since various changes may be made, by those skilled in the art, in the constructions set forth, without departing from the invention, it is to be understood that the above description and the accompanying drawing are intended as illustrative only, and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus describedmy invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a container having a panel in one of the sides thereof, compressible and resilient material of the nature of paper cleansing tissues within such container and substantially filling the same, said panel having an aperture formed therein to enable an observer to view said material and at least some of the extremities of said panel being defined by lines of weakened connection with the remainer of said side of the container to enable the container to be opened by inserting a finger through said opening and by an outward forc disconnecting the panel along such lines of weakened connection, and a resilient and flexible closure member normally sealing said aperture and adapted to be moved readily to permit inspection of said material, said closure member being larger than said aperture and disposed thereunder in abutting relationship with the under surface of said panel and said closure member being of a thickness to compress the underlying portions of the compressible material in the container and being effectively maintained in sealing position by the tendency of such resilient compressed portions of the enclosed material to return to normal condition.

2. In combination, a container having an open ing in a wall thereof to enable an observer to view th contents of the same, material having substantial compressible and resilient qualities substantially filling such container, and a closure member for said opening positioned intermediate said wall of the container and the enclosed material, said closure member having an area greater than said opening and having a thickness such as to compress the underlying portion of the enclosed material to the extent that the inherent resiliency of such compressed portion of the material will alone maintain such closure member in closed position, said closure member being composed of resilient, compressible material so that in its closing position the edge portions thereof are compressed against the under surface of the wall around the opening by the compressed portion of the enclosed material to cause said member to effectively seal such opening and whereby the visible portion of said closure member may, under applied pressure, be compressed to enable the member to be moved aside beneath the Wall against the yielding resistance of the enclosed material to expose such material to the view of an observer and may be returned to its effective sealing position after such observation.

NATHAN E. HEIT. 

